Guest Post: Favorite mother/daughter pairs

Good afternoon dear Cornerfold readers! I’m Lili from Utopia State of Mind and I’m back again for another guest post. I’m not sure if you remember me, but I have been here before. (Thank you again for having me!) Today I’m talking about my favorite mother/daughter books. The whole topic of mothers and daughters is so special to me because of my two mothers – birth and adopted. I guess that has resulted in my fascination with literary mother and daughter pairs.

For me to like a pair, they don’t have to be perfect like the ones who are best friends, like Rory and Lorelai from ‘Gilmore Girls’, but they’re totally a favorite of mine. They can make mistakes, have awful fights, and even stop speaking to each other. They just have to be real to me. And conflict and arguments and differing opinions are that, so are mistakes you make and cannot take back.

Without further ado, I want to bring to you my top three pairs, featuring one that hasn’t come out yet, a favorite of mine, and a new read.

Amy Tan and Turbulent Mother/Daughter Relationships

The Valley of Amazement has been my go to recommendation for turbulent mother/daughter relationships. It is given that place for a few different reasons. This is written by Amy Tan, who is pretty great for these types of relationships. What I love about them is that they make mistakes, they stop speaking, and they work it out. The relationship you have with your mother is turbulent, there are times they do things you cannot understand and make decisions you cannot forgive them for. But in these moments, they’re the most real. They are their own person and even though we sometimes don’t want to see them as fallible or flawed, they are. Tan never shies away from these moments and in The Valley of Amazement we see many different types of mother/daughter relationships – and even almost a mirrored relationship. (See my review on my blog.)

K. Arsenault Rivera and Legendary Mothers

The Tiger’s Daughter comes out later this fall and is one of my most anticipated releases. This book has demons, magic, and legendary kick ass women. There are so many of them that is was hard to pick my favorite side character – each of them has a lifelikeness and a personality. But there are two amazing mother/daughter relationships which take center stage. These two pairings are tender between strong women, and who embrace the difficulties of parenthood. There were so many precious moments between them and their daughters, and between the mothers themselves. It is truly an amazing book in that regard and absolutely worth the read.

My latest Mother/Daughter(s) Read – The Scavenger’s Daughters

Now this is a sort of sneaky one, The Scavenger’s Daughters, actually focuses a lot more on the father in this book – side note, why are there less father/daughter relationships – but this one centers around family. At the heart of this book is a story about a couple who take orphaned girls in, even though they don’t have a lot to give besides love. These orphans find a home and a place to live there and the novel revolves around characters. Not only does each daughter have a distinct personality, but the parents are also highly colorful characters. There are beautiful and precious interactions between them all and the ending brought tears to my eyes. (See my review on my blog.)


So that wraps up my most recent and mention-worthy mother/daughter relationships. But I seriously love reading about them. I think parenthood and mothers will always be a relationship that I will be intrigued by because of my past. I want to turn it over to you though. What is your favorite book with mothers and daughters? I would love some recommendations!!

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ABOUT UTOPIA STATE OF MIND

Hello reader. My name is Lili and I am the book blogger behind Utopia State of Mind. I am a self-described book worm who loves finding new friends in books and building gigantic forts out of them (the books, not the friends). I first began blogging over a year ago because I needed an outlet to creatively talk about books, when I wasn't busy writing my Master's in Literature (specifically cyborgs). Since then, it has steadily grown into something more: a community and space for me to share the books I love and feel deserve more attention. I focus primarily on science fiction, fantasy, and diverse reads. I always love to gush about books and trade recommendations. I would love to see you around - so make sure to follow me on Twitter (where I am the most personal) on Instagram (where I am the most creative) friend me on Goodreads (to see my thoughts before the review) and like my Facebook to be notified of posts.

We're looking for guest posts (and why guest posting is awesome)!

Happy Monday, everyone!! I hope your weekend was fantastic and that you're having a great start to the week! (Okay, I'm just trying to hype up Mondays, but we know they all suck - go get yourself a cupcake!)

WHAT WE'RE IN SEARCH OF

I'm here to put out the call for guest posters for the blog! It's possible that I've mentioned once or twice that I'll be going on vacation later this summer. There will be a few weeks where I may or may not have wifi and my blog posting capabilities will be questionable. MC will still be here and of course I'll blog ahead, but it does seem like a great opportunity for guest posts!

WHY GUEST POSTING IS AWESOME

Maybe you're wondering why you would even bother writing a post for a blog that isn't yours. Of course, it takes a lot of time and effort to think up a post and bring it to life!

Guest posting is awesome for a few reasons. Most importantly, it give you the opportunity to bring new readers to your own blog. If someone reads your post here and loves it, chances are they'll follow your link to your blog to find out more! Guest posting can gain you readers and new followers via linkbacks to your blog and social media accounts. It allows you to reach an audience you may not have had access to. Maybe my readers have never met you and now they'll have that chance! Lastly, guest posting is helping out a friend! Earlier this year when I was moving into my new house, I had some amazing friends offer to contribute guest posts and it was so helpful to have their amazing content on my blog! Not to mention, the breath of fresh air that new writers can bring to a blog.

SOME PAST GUEST POSTS

Review of online bookstore Alibris.com

Review of Empress of a Thousand Skies

Discussion about book boyfriends

HOW YOU CAN GUEST POST

We're looking for whatever you want to write - book reviews, bookish lists, discussions, author interviews, or anything else you can think up! If you'd like to contribute a post on Cornerfolds this September, you can fill out the form here!

Guest Post: Book boyfriends & why they're the BEST

Hello, Cornerfolds readers!! I am so excited for the opportunity to guest post here and hopefully meet some new people! I blog at Sugar Dusted Pages, where I yell excitedly about books and beautiful book covers. I may have an addiction.

Anyway, this post is about book boyfriends and why they are the BEST. I like romance, but I’ll admit it annoys me sometimes, especially in YA. Because 1) I hate love triangles 2) it’s often extremely contrived and POINTLESS 3) I hate love triangles and 4) I get jealous?!?

BUT I am convinced that one of the few things that matches the wonderfulness of a good book is a swoonworthy book boyfriend.

Not only are they described in the most gorgeous way, you can imagine them being as absolutely swoony as you like. And of course, there are the staples: the chiseled jaw and straight nose, the crooked smile (a personal favorite), the wavy dark hair…

So clearly I’ll take a beautiful book boyfriend over a completely average real boyfriend any day, because who needs a real person when you could have a wonderful fictional boyfriend?!?

Either no one has flaws, or they have plenty of flaws but they’re really cool flaws. The perfect guy is legitimately perfect and has never done anything wrong. The bad boy who’s not very nice actually just had a tragic childhood. But in real life, no one is perfect and when they’re not perfect, well, they’re imperfect in awkward ways, like not having that straight jawline.

I mean, you literally open a book, think “I find this fictional guy attractive” and BAM you’re good to go. And then they’re YOURS and belong to YOU. (Besides the 78675653 other girls who also love them, but I digress.) And then they never go away (unless they die.) Whereas with real boyfriends you have to 1) like the right person at the right time 2) wait and see if they somehow magically like you back and 3) hope for the best.

Real guys are great!! They can be awesome friends and are wonderfully supportive and so much more. But let’s face it; boys are different from girls and sometimes you have to admit they can be 1) smelly 2) not inclined to respond to words with anything other than wut 3) oblivious 4) smelly 5) clueless.

But book boyfriends, on the other hand ALWAYS KNOW THE PERFECT THING TO SAY and are way more sensitive than real boys are. They also always smell good; in fact, the other day I read a book that had a guy who had been traveling around for a long period of time and he STILL smelled good. Can I go live in that world?? I will bring chocolate.

*AHEM*

As you shall see below, my favorite book boyfriend is the…morally ambiguous… Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows.

Now you have to understand: this guy is messed up. He kills people(!!!), is obsessed with getting revenge for his beloved older brother, can’t touch anyone, beats people up, kidnaps people…

I’m starting to become worried…??

But he’s also a tragically heartbreaking little guy who JUST HAD A HARD LIFE and I want to give him a hug. (He’d probably bite my head off but WHO CARES.) And he has that hair… And he’s really actually super sensitive under that tragically heartbreaking mask.

But if I were to like a guy like this in the real world?? My obsession with beautiful book covers would probably be the least of my problems.

Now, you might possibly be curious as to who MY book boyfriends are. So here are the top six (as of now.)

For reasons previously stated.

He’s slightly evil and dark and mysterious. Also, he has magical talents involving POISON.

Ignifex from Cruel Beauty

Well. He’s 1) an evil character who turns out to be sweet and wonderful and not actually evil whist still being dark and mysterious 2) magical 3) he has red eyes and 4) he is the ruler of evil shadowy demons, which is pretty exciting.

Okay, this is actually the first boyfriend who doesn’t raise uncomfortable questions. He 1) has never killed anyone 2) is actually genuinely sweet and 3) broke my heart and it’s clear I’m twisted.

He’s hilarious. And he’s a horse so he has respectable qualities. Also he’s never killed anyone and almost all of the other people on this list have…?

Another guy who’s never killed anyone!! I’m on a roll!! I actually love Felix because he was the first real book boyfriend I ever had. And he has the most amazing complexion. So he’s close to my heart *sobs*

*swoons*

So tell me!!! Do you agree with any of these points? Do you have any to add??

And of course, who is your favorite book boyfriend?

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Lenna is a book lover who reads practically every spare second of the day. (This does not include the time she spends staring lovingly at the beautiful book covers on her shelf) She also likes to write fairy tales that she imagines will someday be published. She is obsessed with fantasy, and her favorite characters to read and write about are villains and anyone who is morally ambiguous. Sometimes this causes her to worry… She is also a firm believer that books are infinitely better when read while eating chocolate or anything sweet.

You can find her online at her blog, Twitter, or Goodreads!

Guest Post: How Important are Character Names? (And Why do I Forget them so Often?)

I recently read The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman for school, and if you've read that book before, you probably know that the main character doesn’t have a name. Of course that is, unless you're like me. I didn't notice the main character's namelessness until my teacher brought it up. A lot of people said it had bugged them a ton, meanwhile I hadn't even noticed it. That got me thinking, how important are character names?

Names can be powerful stuff. They can have a lot of significance and meaning. Take for example, Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, this series is a sci-fi retelling of four fairy tales: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Each fairytale is reflected in the names of the characters: Cinder being Cinderella, Scarlet being Little Red Riding Hood, Cress being Rapunzel, and finally Winter being Snow White. (Personally my favorite name is Cress, as it's so incredibly clever. Cress's full name is actually Crescent, but she mostly goes by Cress, which is a type of vegetable like Rapunzel.)

Character names can also become much more than a name. Like Harry Potter. Yes, Harry Potter is the name of the black haired, green eyed, glasses wearing boy, but his name has also come to represent, for so many people, an important piece of their childhood.

However, despite how important I believe names can be, I still tend to forget them. Mind you, I've never forgotten any of the names of the four main characters of The Lunar Chronicles, and of course I'd never forget Harry Potter's name.

Sometimes, though, names can be unmemorable. I remember the names of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, because the meaning behind them, they stand out, their unique, they make an impression.

As for Mr. Harry Potter, his name is virtually inescapable. Even for the couple years when I didn’t really like the Harry Potter series (I know *gasp*), I still knew a lot of the key characters’ names, mainly, because, as I said before, they're unavoidable. It’s quite interesting how a fictional character’s name can come to mean so much to so many people.

The names I tend to forget the most are in contemporary novels, and the names I remember the most tend to be in fantasy novels. One reason might be that the names in fantasy are generally more unique, and the names in contemporary are the everyday ones that already slip through my ears on a daily basis (my ability to forget names is not confined to literature, unfortunately).

My habit of forgetting names can be annoying when I’m reading a book, and suddenly realize I have no clue what the mc’s name is (this happens more often than I'd like to admit). It most definitely is annoying when I’m in a new place, and I have to ask each person, at least 50 times, what their name is. However, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really effect my enjoyment of books (as I can still recognizing the name, just can’t recall it later too well), so it doesn’t really bug me all too much. Some names are memorable and impactful, and some names aren't, and that’s okay too.

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Hello, I'm Cassidy. I've currently been on this earth for fifteen years, I know #tinychild. At the moment I'm working my way through high school, and I haven’t drowned yet, yay? (Though the next big looming thing, otherwise known as college, is already breathing down my neck.)

I’ve loved books from the moment my second grade teacher cracked open The Little House on the Prairie. She read it aloud to us over a span of a couple weeks, and ever since, it’s been nothing but wholehearted bookworminess. Starting Quartzfeather has helped me share and express my literary addiction, and I am forever grateful for the existence of the online bookish community.

Quartzfeather | Instagram | Bloglovin | Twitter | Pinterest

Guest Book Review: Empress of A Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Title: Empress of a Thousand Skies
Author: Rhoda Belleza
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 314
Add to Goodreads

CROWN PRINCESS RHIANNON TA'AN WANTS VENGEANCE.

The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, RHEE has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.

ALYOSHA is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.

The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.

In this exhilarating debut for fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, RHODA BELLEZA crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

Empress of a Thousand Skies is a good beginning to a series that brings up important questions of surveillance and memory all framed by a storyline of intrigue and assassinations. What it lacks in atmospheric descriptions it makes up for in a compelling main character. While I had a few small complaints, overall I am looking forward to the sequel.

“The bully, the madman, and the empress” (115)

Empress of a Thousand Skies begins with an assassination attempt on Princess Rhiannon’s life that sets cards in motion and reveals a greater corruption. Her accused assassin, Alyosha, an outsider his whole life, becomes an instant fugitive and must run for his life, encountering an underground resistance he never knew existed, and a plot that has disastrous consequences for the whole galaxy.

In terms of characters, my favorites were Alyosha and Kara. Aly’s character is complex, prejudiced against, and incredibly clever. There are so many challenges he must undergo and the side characters we meet in his life, Vincent and Kara are so fascinating to me. However, I did not really enjoy Rhee’s perspective. She is particularly short sighted, in terms of her revenge, and I think she was incredibly impulsive. In addition, I did not really empathize with her the whole book, and I greatly preferred Aly.

I could get into their heads, but it was hard for me to close my eyes and picture it. Then again, if you’re one of those people who wants more freedom in your imaginings, then this would be good for you.

“Don’t confuse retaliation with fairness” (200)

Actually my favorite part of the story was the idea of the memory storage. This piece of technology is designed to record all of our memories and we can play them back or relive them. My initial question was: how do we value our memories and experiences when we can never forget. It was great that even with a ‘perfect memory’ our experiences and memories are still fallible. Good old fashioned miscommunications are still around and we must still rely on our judgement.

Even in terms of plot I enjoyed Aly and Kara’s plot more than Rhee’s. To me, her plot just seemed typical and without a lot of complexity. The main story continuously twists and changes, surprising us and adding more complexity. However, from the inside cover we expect Aly and Rhee’s paths to cross and that is a misconception. Slowly the puzzle pieces are revealed and begin connecting. Threads that seemed light years away weaving together before your eyes until you’re caught up and cannot stop.

“Every death by your hand is different than the one that came before. You’ll be changed” (120)

This book is about the choices and sacrifices we make. Trust is dangerous and even in this advanced world we still underestimate ambition and what we truly would sacrifice for our family.

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ABOUT UTOPIA STATE OF MIND

Utopia State of Mind was born out of my passion for books and critical discussions. As a former literature student, for my Bachelors and Masters, USOM has given me the perfect outlet to discuss books and share my opinions with fellow book worms. I began blogging about books only once a week, but is has grown quickly to over three times per week. I celebrated my first blog birthday yesterday. Being a book blogger has been a dream come true.  My favorite genres are science fiction, what I wrote both my theses on, and fantasy. If you love those genres, historical fiction, or diverse reads please visit my blog. I would love to say hello and talk with you about books. You can also find me on facebook, twitter, and instagram. Looking forward to seeing you!

Guest Book Review: City of Thieves by David Benioff

Hello Cornerfolds readers! I'm overjoyed to be coming to you as a guest blogger today! I'm fairly new to the book blogging community and it didn't take long to realize that this community is filled with such friendly people! So when I heard that the lovely ladies from Cornerfolds were looking for help during a very busy time in their lives, I jumped at the chance to help out. Some quick info about me: My name is Shanah (AKA Bionic Book Worm), I live in Ontario Canada, I have 2 amazing children and a loving husband, I have an obsessive (and probably unhealthy) relationship with coffee, and I read to escape the craziness of my life! I read a mix of YA and adult books with fantasy and historical fiction being my favourite genres. And it's my love of historical fiction that pushed me to spread the word of one of my favourites - City of Thieves by David Benioff.

Fun fact - His name may not immediately ring a bell, but I bet you know of his work! Aside from being an author, David Benioff is also a producer, director, and screenwriter. He's most known for being the co-creator and writer of Game of Thrones!

Bionic Bookworm | BooksAmino | Twitter

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Title: City of Thieves
Author: David Benioff
Publication Date: May 15, 2008
Publisher: Viking / Penguin
Pages: 258
Add to Goodreads

From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival — and a remarkable friendship that ripples across a lifetime.

During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men. 

Set in Leningrad in 1942, Lev, who is arrested for looting, and Kolya, arrested for desertion, are thrown into the same jail cell as they await their execution. But instead of being brought before guns, they are brought before a powerful Soviet colonel and are given an unexpected second chance. Their mission? Bring him a dozen fresh eggs to make a wedding cake for his daughter. In the middle of the unforgiving Russian winter, these two men embark on an impossible mission. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, they are forced to travel across enemy lines to fight for their chance to survive.

The first thing that grabbed me about this book was their mission. As soon as I heard that it was about two men challenged to find a dozen eggs in the middle of WWII, I was like WHAT?! It was so absurd and unique I just knew I had to read it!

This book lends an angle of humour and absurdity to a time that was nothing close to funny. The two characters were polar opposites of each other. Lev is a shy, quiet, and awkward boy while Kolya was a handsome, confident, and sometimes (well most of the time) arrogant man. Neither of them was pleased to be working on such a quest together, but as time went on they bonded to form this beautiful friendship. Their dialogue was so funny at times that I caught myself laughing out loud along with them. As an outsider who will never experience the horrors of WWII, I find it so strange that people could find humour in the face of such travesty. This book depicts the need to find light in the face of darkness with flying colours.

The character development was absolutely fantastic. As I said above, these two characters were so far apart in their personalities and none too impressed that they had to work together. It was such a joy to read two characters who wouldn't normally be friends coming together to find common ground in a difficult situation and forming a relationship out of it. Not only were the main characters well written, but the side characters were as well. They met so many people along their journey to find the eggs. Some they knew, some were strangers, some were friendly, and some were enemies. You were given the chance to fully grasp their connections, fears, strengths and determination to survive. I also enjoyed the fact that you got to see the suffering from so many different perspectives. Each characters lives were so different and so was their perspective on what they held close to their hearts.

The writing style is something that I really appreciated, especially when it comes to this subject matter. The way he wrote was very descriptive and factual - but in the best way possible. He didn't try to write long, unnecessary or flourishing descriptions of a scene or event to impact your emotion. The way he wrote was very stark, raw and factual which, for me anyway, only increased the severity of the events and surroundings, and made them all the more powerful. Leningrad toward the end of world war 2 was a desolate and unforgiving place. They had been cut off from all supplies for over a year and people were starving. And by starving I mean they were reduced to eating candles, paper, and paste from book bindings just to get something into their stomachs. And that's what made this quest all the more impossible. Through this mission they were forced to rely on friends and strangers alike. But more importantly they had to rely on their instincts and trust in each other. With everything that they had been through to up to this point, I could only imagine that trust would be the most difficult thing to overcome. I went into this expecting it would be all about their journey in finding the dozen eggs, but it was also a journey through friendship and humanity.

I wish that I could say more about this book but I wouldn't want to spoil anything. This is really a journey that you need to experience for yourself.

I would recommend this book to both adults and young adults alike. It's not an easy read - it's heart breaking and will hit you right in your emotions. But the humour sprinkled throughout this novel gives the subject a fresh new perspective that I've yet to come across in any other WWII historical fiction. This is a story of friendship, desperation, strength, and determination. I hope you get the chance to pick this one up and I hope you like it as much as I did!

Guest Post: Book Nerd Chelcie's Top Ten Quotes

On any given day if you ask me what my favorite quote is you will get a different answer every time. I am constantly marking lines in books that mean a lot to me. Being a reader and a writer of words mean so much to me so it is not a surprise that there are so many quotes that I love. Here are my top 10 favorite quotes at the moment.

If you really think about it, history always ends up falling to the younger generation. So no matter if a
country is at war or not the consequences are always left to the younger generations.

This quote reminds me that you do not always have to fight. Sometimes a calm approach works well enough. 

Whenever I read this quote I get a boost of confidence! I feel as if I can concur
anything in my path and achieve all my dreams.

I almost skipped this hidden gem over when first reading this book. Clancey says this to Ruby to try to get into her head. His words really hit me hard and changed my view on how I see myself and how I want the world to see me.

We all have that time in our lives when we feel like the world is crumbling around us and everything is wrong. This quote gives me faith that even it hard times I will get through the situation.
No matter how broken I think I am I'm not unfixable.

Sara Raasch has some really amazing quotes in her Snow Like Ashes trilogy and this quote is no exception! Quotes about relationships always seem to resonate with me longer with me being the helpless romantic that I am. This just solidifies that fact that relationships are like a partnership; it needs two fully committed people to work.

Again with the romantic quotes! I've always dreamed of meeting "the one" and, yes, I would wait for
them forever just as Alina did with Mal.

I could honestly read Leigh's writing all day long! I know so many people that put up a front like Kaz and it is so hard for them to open up to others. Whenever I read this line, I always remind myself that it's alright to open up and let people in. You honestly never know when you opening up can open up a door for you.

No matter how good someone looks on the outside, they could be bad on the inside. Don't judge a book by its cover, but not everything that looks good is truly good.

This quote gives me major Alice in Wonderland vibes!  I truly think we all have a little madness in us, I mean who keeps collecting books and is never going to finish their tbr pile (#guilty lol).


I'm sure as soon as this post goes up I'll have added a new quote to this list, but for now these are my favorite.
What are your favorite quotes?
Let me know in the comments!

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ABOUT ME

Hi!  I'm Chelcie! I live in a little rural town in Western New York with my parents, brother, cat, dog, five horses, and four cows. I love anything bookish and have an ever-growing tbr pile that seems to have taken over my bedroom floor as well as my 4 shelves.  I'm an aspiring horse trainer and novelist. One day you may see me in the professional horse showing circuit and on the New York Times Best Selling list! 

Book Nerd Chelcie | Twitter | Instagram

Blog tour guest post: The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy

Title: The Creeping
Author: Alexandra Sirowy
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Add to Goodreads

Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she's over it. She's the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it's her small town's ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She's got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them. (less)

Purchase

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

The Unofficial Playlists of THE CREEPING’s
Stella, Zoey, and Sam by Alexandra Sirowy

When I was a kid, way before I considered myself a writer and storyteller, I used to sit and listen to music for hours. Every song was a new three-minute-and-some-seconds story for me to find the meaning of, let it make my heart swell and grieve its ending. Have I mentioned that I was a melodramatic kid? Because I was. Every love song was for me, even before I had crushes; every ballad was an opportunity to perform for the empty living room, the TV remote control a microphone for lip-syncing; each new band on my iPod or radio was a chance at creating new characters.

I’m still that melodramatic little girl, getting swept up in music (or movies or books), but a few things have changed. Now I consider myself a writer, and although I still sit and listen to music for hours, the stories in my head come first and rather than my hands wrapped around my mic, they’re readied on the keyboard of a laptop. My writing process is a perpetual experiment in what will work best creatively and the only constant variable, other than my laptop, is the music playing.

While I was working on my first novel, The Creeping, there were whole days I listened to the same song on repeat to stay in the headspace of a scene. And eventually playlists for each of The Creeping’s characters took shape. I could imagine these characters listening these songs as they drove to school, lounged in their bedrooms, or danced at one of Wildwood High’s lakeside bonfires. These are songs that inspired me as I wrote character dialogue and integral parts of the story.

Stella’s songs are strong, vulnerable, complex, and a little bit whimsical, just like her. There’s a mysterious undercurrent to the music I’d listen to while writing Stella talking about her childhood, that day in the woods when only she came back, and her feelings about being the lucky one, the survivor. There’s a spine and optimism to everything Stella does; this girl is brave and whip-smart, so is the music she listens to.

Stella’s Playlist

Ex’s & Oh’s by Elle King

Where Are You Now by Skillerex & Justin Bieber

Hideaway by Kiesza

Zoey is Stella’s longtime best friend and Zoey’s music is as exuberant and stubborn as she is. She turns the speakers way up, rolls the windows down, and belts out the lyrics. Her playlist makes it easy to imagine a bunch of friends baking in the sun, launching off of the rope swing, cannonballing into the lake, and flipping off authority.

Zoey’s Playlist

The Killing Type by Amanda Palmer

I Love It by Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

Sam (oh, you are going to love Sam) is Stella’s childhood best friend. Their paths diverged in high school, but Sam and Stella can’t really shake each other. There was always something more than friendship there. Sam’s playlist is thoughtful, hopeful, and soulful. I imagine him at his desk with his earbuds in or staring out his bedroom window, daydreaming and listening to songs that make him think of his crush. .

Sam’s Playlist

I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

Stiches by Shawn Mendes;

All I Want by Kodaline

I’d love to hear what music makes your unofficial soundtrack for THE CREEPING. Tweet the songs you think Stella, Sam, and Zoey would listen to!

Author Bio

Alexandra lives in a small town in Northern California. Although it's fringed by forests and foothills like the town of Savage in THE CREEPING, it doesn’t have as many secrets (she thinks) or as dark of a history (fingers crossed). In addition to writing fiction, she loves traveling (Istanbul is her favorite), trees, lighthouses, seven layer cakes (who doesn’t?), running at dusk, music (the kind that makes your chest swell), and risky adventures. THE CREEPING is her debut novel. To learn more, visit her at alexandrasirowy.com and follow @AlexandraSirowy. 

Guest Book Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publication Date: September 21, 1937
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (this edition)
Pages: 385
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In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!

After purchasing and watching “The Desolation of Smaug” for the first time since seeing it in theaters, I realized how much I enjoyed the movie. I then immediately came to the conclusion that I couldn’t wait till the third installment in the motion picture trilogy, “The Battle of the Five Armies,” was released this December to find out how the story resolved. The only solution was to pick up my copy of The Hobbit and attempt to read it again, a task I had not attempted since my sister first introduced the book to me in elementary school.

My attitude towards the book was influenced by my memory of being unable to finish it as a 4th or 5th grader; however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved the writing style of The Hobbit. I find it amazing that J.R.R Tolkien could be so intelligent and continually work in academia, yet could still write fiction that it is enjoyable and appropriate for leisure reading.

I decided to read the book after watching the first two movies in the trilogy and was surprised at just how different the book and movies are from one another. The most notable difference was the presentation of Bilbo. In the novel, Bilbo is presented essentially as a badass who assumes the role of the leader of the fellowship of dwarfs on their journey. This is almost in total contrast to the timid Bilbo who is constantly in need of help that has been shown in the cinematic trilogy thus far. Also, as is consistent with the move of a novel from literature to the big-screen, the story of The Hobbit takes place in a much longer time frame in the novel than the movies.

As a whole, I enjoyed reading the Hobbit from the beginning to the end. If I had to criticize any aspects of the book they would be in relation to how the story is told: first, the battles in the books seemed short and uneventful; second, the resolution of Smaug’s reign was a bit weak (this wont be discussed since it is the major plot line for the upcoming movie); third, there were many pages full of verses of songs, which became more tedious than entertaining. Though all three of these aspects could be seen as negatives, in a work of literature they work in perfect harmony. I believe that without comparing the book to the movies I would have no criticism at all of The Hobbit. Peter Jackson’s movies have likely simply set the entertainment expectation at a level that is nearly unattainable without the stimulation presented through a visual format.

Reading the book gave me the satisfaction of discovering the resolution of The Hobbit before the final installment of the movie trilogy is released but I also benefited from discovering for myself what all the hype around J.R.R Tolkien’s work is truly about. I enjoyed reading The Hobbit so much I’ve began reading Tolkien’s masterpiece The Lord of the Rings - something that, according to Tracy, is no easy feat.

Also: Legolas. If I didn’t mention his name in a comparison of the book and movie there would likely be a public outcry.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released in theaters on December 17, 2014.

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Michael is the brother of Tracy, founder of Cornerfolds.com. He is currently a student at Bridges College working on his Bachelor's Degree in Theology and hopes to start the Master's program in counseling at Wake Forest University next Fall. He loves to read if he can get any free time between classes and homework. Michael's favorite author is C.S. Lewis and he's totally obsessed with acquiring every edition of The Chronicles of Narnia ever published.

You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram!

Guest Post: A Review of Alibris.com

At my local Goodwill, I constantly find great deals on books. Earlier this year I was pleasantly surprised to find 4 out of the 7 Chronicles of Narnia books in hardcover editions. Each book was only 50 cent, a fraction of the $29.99 retail price. Despite looking for the other 3 volumes for the last few months I have been unable to find them at all in used bookstores and the only copies available on eBay or Amazon were, in my opinion, overpriced ($16+ each used).

My search for the three books: Prince Caspian, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle eventually lead me to the online retailer, alibris.com.

I was surprised to find each book for $0.99 each bringing my subtotal for the three hardcover books to $2.97. After a simple search online, I was able to find a coupon code for $1 off my order, which brought my total down to $1.97 and after shipping I still paid less than $12 total. The user experience was very pleasant on the alibris website. I was able to narrow my search to chose the exact edition and cover type and then was presented with multiple vendors offering the book. After choosing the vender Better World Books because of their feedback rating, I placed my order without a second thought because of the great pricing.

Shortly after placing my order, I decided to look into alibris since I had never heard of them and found an overwhelming amount of negative reviews telling of unfulfilled or incorrectly fulfilled orders and poor customer service. I contacted Better World Books to make sure I was getting the editions I ordered and, to my disappointment, found that the editions I would be receiving were library bound. Accepting the fact that I would be disappointed with my order, I knew I could do nothing until I received the books, which took 12 days.

When I received my order, to my delight, I found that all three books still had their original hardcovers rather than library binding. The books were in great condition and the only damage was to the dust jackets of Prince Caspian and The Last Battle - a result of library barcodes previously put on the books. These two books also had the library’s stamp on the page edges which is of little worry, especially when they cost only $0.66 each!

 
Overall,  I was very happy with my purchase from alibris! I received exactly what I ordered and it was at a lower price than offered anywhere else on the web. With that being said, I would not be comfortable placing an order for an expensive book on the site, especially if it was from a seller without a large repertoire of positive feedback.  The next time I am looking for a hard to find book I will certainly check the alibris website and if I find a good seller at a cheap price I’ll likely order from them again, particularly since they have been sending me emails for 15% off my next order. 

Oh, and most importantly I finally finished my hardcover set of the Chronicle of Narnia!

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Michael is the brother of Tracy, founder of Cornerfolds.com. He is currently a student at Bridges College working on his Bachelor's Degree in Theology and hopes to start the Master's program in counseling at Wake Forest University next Fall. He loves to read if he can get any free time between classes and homework. Michael's favorite author is C.S. Lewis and he's totally obsessed with acquiring every edition of The Chronicles of Narnia ever published.

You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram!